Right Wrongs50 Years since 1967

In May 2017 Australia will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the historic 1967 Referendum.

Looking back, looking black

The 1967 Referendum was the highest ever 'Yes' vote recorded, and represented a monumental shift in the public perception of Aboriginal people and issues.

Faith Bandler and others celebrating the historic win

While it was a limited and pyrrhic victory in many respects, it was also a tremendous victory for grassroots activism and paved the way for a number of important changes.

Voting Flyer, 1967

To commemorate this milestone we are creating a new online exhibition which will feature 50 stories from around Australia. This work is being led by the NSLA Indigenous Project Group, in partnership with ABC and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

This is the first time a NSLA group has coordinated an exhibition, and the first major Aboriginal exhibition to be curated by SLWA.

Logo Jam

The ABC Open call-out went live at the end of 2016 and people from around Australia have been submitting digital stories about the impact of the historic 1967 referendum.

ABC Open Callout, 2016/2017

ABC is also working across multiple platforms including radio, iView and social media to provide greater reach and higher quality digital production.

The State Library of WA is also curating a physical exhibition in partnership with the Western Australian Museum and Department of Aboriginal Affairs.

This exhibition will examine history of Aboriginal rights, resistance and reconciliation in WA.

Aboriginal Advancement Float, May Day 1966 (Perth)

Right Wrongs will highlight Aboriginal voices in our collections and bring together stories from a number of institutions, eras and WA places.

The prohibited area of Perth - Aboriginal people were excluded from this area without explicit permission.

SLWA is curating the exhibition with design support from WAM, and supplemental educational resources from DAA.

Marianne Mackay protesting at CHOGM in 2011.

As a British subject and an Australian, I claim that I should have the right to full citizenship without having to go before a magistrate or anybody else to obtain privilege."

We wanted a little place where we could prove we could handle our own affairs"

They have pulled up trees and taken at least 30 truckloads of Sacred Land away, dug deep into the land. It is hurting my people"